Sniper rifle improvements to see testing this spring

[RamZar]

Improved M-24 rifles coming (also upgrades on M-4 and instructions on how to camouflage weapons using spray paint):

Sniper rifle improvements to see testing this spring

By C. Todd Lopez


Army News Service, Mar 4, 2010

Candidates for an improved version of the Army's sniper rifle -- the M-24 -- are expected to go into testing this spring after industry reveals their efforts this month.

Industry was challenged to improve the M-24 sniper rifle, a weapon that has been in service since the 1980s, to make it more accurate and to make it more adjustable to the Soldier's needs, said Col. Douglas A. Tamilio, project manager, Soldier Weapons.

"So the Soldier, the sniper, can conform it to his body -- we'll have an adjustable stock, adjustable cheek welds," Tamilio said. "This weapons system has a five-round internal magazine. We're asking industry to do something better -- five-to-ten round external magazines."

The Army has also asked industry to improve the scope for the M-24, and that means zoom from 3x to 25x magnification, with a reticle that adjusts when the user changes magnification. Also, he said, add Picatinny rails for mounting sensors and optics.

The M-24 now is chambered for a 7.62mm round with a range to about 800 meters, Tamilio said. But he added that when the Army designed the weapon, it also accommodated a larger round, the .300 Win Mag. He said the improved M-24 will take advantage of that capability in order to realize greater accuracy.

It's expected the four industry competitors will supply their four improved M-24 candidates by March 11. Those will go into competitive tests in the spring. The Army will down select to a producer in the summer, and start fielding the improved M-24 to Army snipers in the fall.

Improving the M-24 will involve turning existing weapons over to a contractor and modifying that weapon. It's expected that turnaround time for that process will be 30 days.

The M-24 is not the only weapon PEO Soldier is looking to improve. In fact, the Army is taking a dual approach to getting a better carbine in the hands of Soldiers. The Army is looking to improve upon the M-4 Carbine currently fielded to Soldiers, through the M-4 Carbine Improvement Program. The Army is also asking industry to consider making a better, follow-on carbine, through the Individual Carbine Competition.

Tamilio said the Army is asking industry to find a way to make the M-4 Carbine easier for Soldiers to maintain, and to also improve its durability, accuracy and reliability.

The M-4 is already enjoying an improvement fielded to Soldiers now in Iraq and Afghanistan: a less jam-prone magazine.

"It's a significant improvement over the other magazines we've fielded," Tamilio said. "What that means to our Soldiers is, it's more reliable every time the weapon feeds into the chamber -- it's going to present itself in the same manner, consistently."

The new magazine is already fielded to Soldiers in combat overseas, and it features an improved spring and follower in the magazine that doesn't allow the magazine to jam. The Army will now field the magazine to Soldiers stateside as they prepare to deploy.

"The Army's goal is to issue every Soldier seven of these," he said, saying the service is producing more than a quarter million a month.

Army-driven improvements aside, the Army is in the final process of releasing to the field instructions to show Soldiers how best to camouflage their weapons using spray paint.

"We should issue out in the next couple of months an advisory message, I'll put it in PS Magazine, and we'll get it to the field and say hey it's okay to spray paint your weapon and here's how to do it," Tamilio said.

The instructions, he said, would include tips on paint choice to avoid generating toxic fumes from an overheated barrel, and tips to avoid paint in areas that could hamper the weapon's performance, or that could damage components like optics.

While an instruction on how to spray paint weapons for camouflage purposes is being released, authority to do so still comes from a Soldier's command, Tamilio said.

Weapons aren't the only systems the Army is improving. By the end of the month, three defense contractors are expected to deliver 60-each Ground Soldier System packages to the Army for testing.

The GSS is an integrated dismounted Soldier situational awareness system for use during combat operations. The system is currently in development and is based on lessons learned from development of the Ground Warrior system, said Col. Will Riggins, program manager, Soldier Warrior.

With the release of the testing equipment from contractors, the Army will, in a few months, go into developmental testing and limited user operational testing with the systems.

Ultimately one contractor will be chosen to build the system. To date, Riggins said contractors have developed their competing versions of the GSS with input from both the Army and from Soldiers with combat experience.

"All three have taken that Soldier feedback to heart and we have seen the changes during this development period," he said. "The light bulb started to come on when they heard it from a young Soldier who just got back from Afghanistan or from Iraq."

Soldiers who used earlier demonstration versions of the GSS complained of bulk and weight. Now, Riggins said, the contractors have responded, "they are going to cut down on that bulk."

Riggins also said the Army is "in the final phase right now of being able to drop that cable" that connects a helicopter pilot's head gear to an aircraft's intercom system.

The Aircraft Wireless Intercom System allows pilots to attach to the helicopter's intercom system without cables that can be cumbersome or potentially dangerous.

"That's going to be a very much improved capability and it's going to improve safety for us," Riggins said.

The AWIS is now actually being installed on UH-60 Black Hawks at Fort Belvoir, Va. for evaluation purposes. Riggins said eventually, the wireless systems would incorporate NSA-grade voice encryption to let voice data pass into Army networks in theater.

Photos:

Col. Douglas A. Tamilio, project manager, Soldier Weapons, with Program Executive Office Soldier, discussed improvements to the M-24 sniper rifle during a media roundtable March 2 at the Pentagon. Improvements to the weapon will include an adjustable stock and cheek welds to make the weapon configurable to the Soldier, and the addition of five-to-ten round external magazines. The Army expects to start fielding the improved M-24 to Army snipers in the fall.

The AN/PVS-14 monocular night vision device was one of the systems on display during a media roundtable March 2 at the Pentagon with Program Executive Office Soldier. The system includes an infrared illuminator and allows Soldiers to see in low light situations.

[RamZar]

From Popular Mechanics:

The U.S. Sniper's More Accurate, Quieter Rifle

Army Snipers in Afghanistan will receive an improved rifle this fall.

By Roxana Tiron

Popular Mechanics, May 2010

For snipers, every war is different. Recognizing the differences between conditions in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Army is now selecting a contractor to upgrade the 22-year-old Remington bolt-action rifle to become a more effective killing machine. The Army will pour about $5.6 million into upgrades to the M24, with the new gear expected to be delivered to troops by this fall. The M24's barrel is being modified to shoot heavier .300 Winchester Magnum rounds, instead of the 7.62mm NATO ammunition, which should extend the rifle's maximum effective range by hundreds of yards to a maximum of about 1400 yards. The suppressor will reduce the noise and flash of the gun so snipers can stay in their hiding positions much longer after they fire.

The Army is also adopting a new chassis that allows for more "real estate" on the rifle—meaning the ability to attach accessories, especially much-needed night-vision devices that clip on directly to the rail in front of the scope. The scope itself will be improved, adding a variable power system that can reach 16.5x to 25x magnification. The Army will also fit the rifles with a rangefinder so troops will no longer have to perform calculations on distance. "The engagement is a lot farther [in Afghanistan] than in Iraq," says Milo Afong, a former Marine Corps sniper who researched the experience of snipers in Afghanistan for his new book, Hunters: U.S. Snipers in the War on Terror. "You are looking at higher altitudes and less populated areas."

In Afghanistan, U.S. snipers have encountered a tougher enemy than in Iraq—one that is willing to stay and fight and generally has the advantage because they know the hiding places. "They know tactics, they know how to shoot, move and communicate. They know how to set up ambushes," Afong says. "You just have to be on your toes at all times, and you have to put yourself one step or two ahead of the enemy."

Afong says that for snipers engaged in urban combat in Iraq, the traditional training and mantra of waiting for 'one shot and one kill' fell by the wayside. Sniper teams in Iraq often selected, observed and reported on the targets without actually taking the shot, acting instead as the eyes for raiding teams that would capture or eliminate the enemy. When caught in the speed of battle, snipers have to turn to snap shooting, says Afong. "The window of opportunity is very, very small," says Afong. "You just have to pick your shots."